“It’s wonderful that the Department will be able to bring in experts on the area’s special plants and animals, to inform the court,” says Mr Hague.

The mine would remove part of an intact forested mountain, clearly visible from Westport.

The site is home to great spotted kiwi and a host of other species threatened with extinction, including South Island fernbird, West Coast green gecko and the largest known population of the rare forest ringlet butterfly. Part of the proposed mine is also within the Buller Gorge outstanding landscape.

Stevenson Mining Ltd is still awaiting a decision from the Ministers of Conservation and Energy & Resources on access to approximately 12 ha of conservation land required for the mine.

The company also needs access to Buller District Council’s water conservation reserve. In October 2017, Forest & Bird argued in the High Court that the Crown Minerals Act does not override the Council’s obligations under the Reserves Act to maintain the natural features of the reserve. A decision is expected soon.